{"id":14469,"date":"2015-09-29T09:37:03","date_gmt":"2015-09-29T16:37:03","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/?p=14469"},"modified":"2016-09-15T09:44:23","modified_gmt":"2016-09-15T16:44:23","slug":"xeroxs-john-corley-on-helping-its-channel-partners-grow","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/feature-articles\/2015\/09\/xeroxs-john-corley-on-helping-its-channel-partners-grow\/","title":{"rendered":"Xerox\u2019s John Corley on Helping Its Channel Partners Grow"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"John

John Corley<\/p><\/div>\n

If you ask John Corley, president of Channel Partner Operations (CPO) for Xerox, how things are going for his group, he\u2019ll unabashedly tell you that these are exciting times for his organization, and by extension Xerox, primarily because he feels the company is well positioned for success and has an amazing story to tell.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are a material part of [Xerox] and we are innovating to grow,\u201d he adds. \u201cIt\u2019s exciting for our partners because we\u2019re creating new opportunities for them to not only secure their existing customer\u2019s business, but also differentiate themselves in the marketplace to capture new customers. It\u2019s also exciting for customers because we\u2019re helping them along with our partners solve their evolving needs.\u201d<\/p>\n

The bottom line, according to Corley is value creation.<\/p>\n

\u201cCreating value for our partners and then along with our partners, creating value for [their] customers,\u201d he emphasizes.<\/p>\n

Corley views the market opportunity in the U.S. and Western Europe as massive and attractive and points out pockets of growth such as MPS inside of SMB as a growth driver. As far as the company\u2019s overall performance, he identifies 10 percent growth in MPS, 7 percent growth in A4 color MFPs, and 5 percent growth in entry production color. Driving this growth are shifts in the marketplace and evolving customer needs.<\/p>\n

\u201cIT continues to be more relevant as the world of print and IT continues to converge,\u201d says Corley. \u201cI have not met a customer regardless of size where there is not an increased focus on productivity. Customers are looking for more value from their suppliers and vendors.\u201d<\/p>\n

Another growth driver is the way that customer\u2019s work is changing with an increased emphasis on mobility, which is driving increased speed.<\/p>\n

By understanding these dynamics Corley says Xerox is well positioned to continue to lead, adding that improving the flow of work is at the core of how Xerox can help a company solve their evolving needs.<\/p>\n

\u201cInside of CPO, if I were to start with framing the market, it\u2019s really pages printed inside of SMB–$40 billion spend on 8 million devices,\u201d he says. \u201cWe still see the converging of IT and print. We have to help our partners develop new ways to connect the two sides of the customer\u2019s business environment.\u201d<\/p>\n

Partners are connecting and integrating printers, copiers, MFPs, the same way they would connect any device on the network, a phenomenon that has been happening for years. But the questions he asks now is what happens after the devices are connected and being managed on the network and how does a partner continue to build a business?<\/p>\n

\u201cOur view is integrating and managing the end points is just the beginning and not the end,\u201d states Corley. \u201cNow that our partners have an integrated IT environment, how does one unlock the potential of those assets? How does the customer leverage the investment they made in those assets to help them drive productivity?\u201d<\/p>\n

The answer, he says is leveraging the software on the devices through workflow and apps so that the software on these devices enable improved process and productivity back through the individual lines of businesses and functions of companies to help those companies scale their business.<\/p>\n

He uses the analogy of a smartphone. \u201cIf you just want a phone to talk and text, you probably wouldn\u2019t have bought a smartphone. The reality is you get the smartphone because you get the apps to not only improve your professional life but also your personal life. It\u2019s no different than our multifunctional devices. Why use them just to print and copy when there are so many other opportunities?\u201d<\/p>\n

The next logical step is figuring out how to build customized workflows and apps so they have a material impact on the end customer\u2019s business.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is something I believe a lot of people in our segment of the industry are talking about, but there are not a lot of companies or partners taking advantage of it,\u201d opines Corley.<\/p>\n

Corley wouldn\u2019t be talking apps if Xerox wasn\u2019t stepping up its game big time in the apps arena. That\u2019s considered a near-term strategy for Xerox. Looking further down the road the challenge is remaining relevant to partners and making sure they are relevant to their customers.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhere we see opportunity for our customers is to offer services that impact the customer service and customer acquisition of their customer as well by delivering processes and productivity to their customer\u2019s customer,\u201d explains Corley. \u201cNot just between departments internally, not between their customer\u2019s lines of businesses, but extending that out into their own customer\u2019s businesses. In the future, our partners are going to need to be fluent and integrating on premise, as well as remotely and tying back as a service as a solution. So partners need to get closer to impacting their ultimate customer experience.\u201d<\/p>\n

But this strategy isn\u2019t being implemented today or even tomorrow.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe know this is where the market is going, we know this is where our partners need to be, and we know this is where we have to play and we\u2019re helping them get there,\u201d says Corley. \u201cUltimately, we see tons of opportunities for partners to grow with us, to continue to be more relevant with their customers, and distinguish themselves and acquire new customers. But we also know that helping them on this journey depends on their starting point.\u201d<\/p>\n

Corley has spent a lot of time this year developing his group\u2019s channel strategy around a right to market approach. \u201cThis is huge for Xerox,\u201d he says. \u201cPreviously we supported the channel by defining the partner by the products they sold, not how they went to market, not what their business model was or how they made money.\u201d<\/p>\n

In January of this year Xerox introduced its Global Partner program which enables it to support its partners based upon their business model and how they serve their customers.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe mission inside CPO is all about making sure we participate in more SMB decisions by having a productive portfolio of partners that choose Xerox and our supported by a world class partner experience,\u201d emphasizes Corley. \u201cI purposely put in the word \u2018choose,\u2019 it\u2019s not an arrogant approach, it\u2019s understanding our customers actually a have a choice.\u201d<\/p>\n

He explains that within the channel the only way to achieve successful execution is through simplicity.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve built a portfolio of technology to help partners deliver value beyond the box. And we have an app studio now and partners can solve customer\u2019s issues and add value to their sale and even create a new revenue stream.\u201d<\/p>\n

Some Xerox partners are even creating their own apps and reselling them to their own partner community who can then go and market them to their own client base.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe best thing is it doesn\u2019t require huge technical expertise or a computer science degree, if you can build a PowerPoint slide you can build your own app,\u201d reveals Corley. \u201cFor those who don\u2019t want to develop their own apps, other partners are doing it for them.\u201d<\/p>\n

This all ties back to value creation, i.e., leveraging assets in a customer environment so they can drive enhanced productivity, customer satisfaction or leverage the investments customer\u2019s made.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhether it\u2019s Xerox proprietary apps, partner apps, third party apps, it\u2019s all about monetizing and leveraging those assets,\u201d says Corley.<\/p>\n

A discussion about what Xerox is doing for the channel isn\u2019t complete without a discussion of its channel partners, a channel that\u2019s been changing and growing.<\/p>\n

\u201cA decade or so ago, the majority of our channel was mono branded partners,\u201d says Corley. \u201cNow we\u2019re a different organization. I have over 20,000 partners inside my portfolio. I\u2019m a firm believer we need a portfolio of partners. Our mono branded partners are just a portion of our portfolio, no different than if you have a financial advisor they\u2019re going to tell you to diversify. This is the right to market approach we have taken.\u201d<\/p>\n

Today those channel partners are classified into four segments, mono branded, multi branded like a BTA dealer, IT\/VAR solution providers, and direct marketing or volume channel partners. The defining criteria of each segment is quality.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe need to participate in more decisions in the SMB marketplace by having a productive portfolio of quality partners that choose Xerox,\u201d says Corley. \u201cIt\u2019s not so much about quantity, but quality.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u2018Quality\u2019 refers to partners that are growth minded in business and focused on growth minded SMB customers.<\/p>\n

Is there still an opportunity to find more new channel partners?<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s lots of room to grow in all parts and all geographies,\u201d responds Corley. \u201cIn reality we are the market leader inside of our equipment sale revenue inside of our market share, but until we have a more sizable portion of the market we\u2019re not satisfied. The market opportunity is massive, and we\u2019re not sitting back, we\u2019re going out there and we\u2019re playing to win.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

If you ask John Corley, president of Channel Partner Operations (CPO) for Xerox, how things are going for his group, he\u2019ll unabashedly tell you that these are exciting times for his organization, and by extension Xerox, primarily because he feels the company is well positioned for success and has an amazing story to tell. \u201cWe are a material part of [Xerox] and we are innovating to grow,\u201d he adds. \u201cIt\u2019s exciting for our partners because we\u2019re creating new opportunities for them to not only secure their existing customer\u2019s business, but also differentiate themselves in the marketplace to capture new customers. It\u2019s also exciting for customers because we\u2019re helping them along with our partners solve their evolving needs.\u201d The bottom line, according to Corley is value creation. \u201cCreating value for our partners and then along with our partners, creating value for [their] customers,\u201d he emphasizes. Corley views the market opportunity in the U.S. and Western Europe as massive and attractive and points out pockets of growth such as MPS inside of SMB as a growth driver. As far as the company\u2019s overall performance, he identifies 10 percent growth in MPS, 7 percent growth in A4 color MFPs, and 5 percent growth in entry production color. Driving this growth are shifts in the marketplace and evolving customer needs. \u201cIT continues to be more relevant as the world of print and IT continues to converge,\u201d says Corley. \u201cI have not met a customer regardless of size where there is not an increased focus on productivity. Customers are looking for more value from their suppliers and vendors.\u201d Another growth driver is the way that customer\u2019s work is changing with an increased emphasis on mobility, which is driving increased speed. By understanding these dynamics Corley says Xerox is well positioned to continue to lead, adding that improving the flow of work is at the core of how Xerox can help a company solve their evolving needs. \u201cInside of CPO, if I were to start with framing the market, it\u2019s really pages printed inside of SMB–$40 billion spend on 8 million devices,\u201d he says. \u201cWe still see the converging of IT and print. We have to help our partners develop new ways to connect the two sides of the customer\u2019s business environment.\u201d Partners are connecting and integrating printers, copiers, MFPs, the same way they would connect any device on the network, a phenomenon that has been happening for years. But the questions he asks now is what happens after the devices are connected and being managed on the network and how does a partner continue to build a business? \u201cOur view is integrating and managing the end points is just the beginning and not the end,\u201d states Corley. \u201cNow that our partners have an integrated IT environment, how does one unlock the potential of those assets? How does the customer leverage the investment they made in those assets to help them drive productivity?\u201d The answer, he says is leveraging the software on the devices through workflow and apps so that the software on these devices enable improved process and productivity back through the individual lines of businesses and functions of companies to help those companies scale their business. He uses the analogy of a smartphone. \u201cIf you just want a phone to talk and text, you probably wouldn\u2019t have bought a smartphone. The reality is you get the smartphone because you get the apps to not only improve your professional life but also your personal life. It\u2019s no different than our multifunctional devices. Why use them just to print and copy when there are so many other opportunities?\u201d The next logical step is figuring out how to build customized workflows and apps so they have a material impact on the end customer\u2019s business. \u201cThis is something I believe a lot of people in our segment of the industry are talking about, but there are not a lot of companies or partners taking advantage of it,\u201d opines Corley. Corley wouldn\u2019t be talking apps if Xerox wasn\u2019t stepping up its game big time in the apps arena. That\u2019s considered a near-term strategy for Xerox. Looking further down the road the challenge is remaining relevant to partners and making sure they are relevant to their customers. \u201cWhere we see opportunity for our customers is to offer services that impact the customer service and customer acquisition of their customer as well by delivering processes and productivity to their customer\u2019s customer,\u201d explains Corley. \u201cNot just between departments internally, not between their customer\u2019s lines of businesses, but extending that out into their own customer\u2019s businesses. In the future, our partners are going to need to be fluent and integrating on premise, as well as remotely and tying back as a service as a solution. So partners need to get closer to impacting their ultimate customer experience.\u201d But this strategy isn\u2019t being implemented today or even tomorrow. \u201cWe know this is where the market is going, we know this is where our partners need to be, and we know this is where we have to play and we\u2019re helping them get there,\u201d says Corley. \u201cUltimately, we see tons of opportunities for partners to grow with us, to continue to be more relevant with their customers, and distinguish themselves and acquire new customers. But we also know that helping them on this journey depends on their starting point.\u201d Corley has spent a lot of time this year developing his group\u2019s channel strategy around a right to market approach. \u201cThis is huge for Xerox,\u201d he says. \u201cPreviously we supported the channel by defining the partner by the products they sold, not how they went to market, not what their business model was or how they made money.\u201d In January of this year Xerox introduced its Global Partner program which enables it to support its partners based upon their business model and how they serve their customers. \u201cThe mission inside CPO is all about making sure we participate in more SMB decisions by having a productive […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":14470,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[82,1638],"tags":[2447,362],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14469"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=14469"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14469\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":14471,"href":"https:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14469\/revisions\/14471"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/14470"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=14469"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=14469"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=14469"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}